Disciple of Zero
by Seiker Hikaru
Summary: Timelines... that rule of the multiverse that is subject to branching and splitting because of even the slightest change... or. sometimes, a slight change that barely alters a thing, but results in the same or different outcomes because of it. This is a story of one such alteration, both similar and different to another... at the center of this change is Nil, the Disciple of Zero.
1. Verse 0

_Disciple of Zero_

**Verse 0: Remembrance**

He felt two things when consciousness phased him back into feeling. The expected grogginess of just waking up, and the feeling of a plush bed beneath him. Aside from those situations, everything in his head was fuzzy. Not a thing to remember at all. All except a name: Nil.

"Where am I anyway?" His eyes cracked open, revealing that above him was a deep red canopy, and glancing around, a red silk screen surrounded the large bed he was outright sinking into. The bed was soft enough it was actually a bit hard to move off of it too. But, kicking off the equally plush bed sheet covering him, he threw the curtain aside to see more. The room was itself warm, giving off a homely air in the dark, well kept wood of the walls, and his feet brushed down onto soft, white carpet. All around him, right up to the ceiling, the walls were lined with filled to the brim bookshelves, every book on them being all sorts of sizes and colors.

"Weird." Standing up and stepping over, his hand brushed against a nearby armoire. The mirror quickly caught his reflection, letting him see his appearance in full, at least from the waist up. His face was thin and somewhat soft in looks, skin pale as marble with only the faint flush of blood providing any color to him. His hair was also pure white, falling to his chin at longest and messy in the manner of just having nothing but fingers run through the comb it, while the cloud colored strands fell around and between eyes a bright, pure colored shade of blue, over his left eye being a faded scar that left a nick in the eyebrow.

He ran a hand over his chin, feeling not even a hint of stubble, just smooth and clean, quite like the rest of his body actually. Not feeling like standing around naked was too good an idea as well, and with the armoire right there, he chose to investigate. Weirdly, it was like the clothes were for him anyway. Randomly grabbing some things, he threw them on. A black jacketed with elegant patterns stitched at the coughs and tails of it in lighter black thread, a simple white shirt, and dark pants. Also in the armoire that he pulled out were fingerless gloves he slid over his hands, and he found a pair of black boots not far off, putting those over his feet as he went to the door.

He did take the time to look over the room more. It was rather large now that he was past the bed, but still clearly just a bedroom. At the other end of the room was a large, comfortable looking couch and a table with even more books stacked in front of it.

"Whatever. But that name… Nil… is it mine? Has to be." Deciding it was, Nil opened the door, wincing a bit as harsh light met his eyes immediately. When he passed the door, the upward gaze he had showed him a clear glass ceiling above him, showing a bright blue sky with sparse, thick white clouds, the sun high and beaming directly down through it. Lowering his eyes, the sudden blinding from the light faded and revealed to him the rest of the location.

The space he'd entered was huge. Counting up, he saw that above him from this foyer were several more floors from the grand staircase that went out before him, numbering five floors in total, while at the end of the first set of stairs was a massive, ornate door covered to the brim in engravings of all sorts of things, a constant motif on it being a peculiar flower that ticked at Nil's mind.

"Is this… some kind of library?" Nil's voice echoed a bit in the grand hall as he walked out, his boots moving over soft carpet that was spread over fine wood floors. Each wall was, just like the bedroom he'd left, lined to the brim with filled book cases. "And what the hell is up with the glass ceiling?"

"Ah, so, you're finally awake." A girl's voice made Nil turn to his right. Just across the way, seated at a table and surrounded by stacks upon stacks of books, with a large travel bag near her seat, was a girl in simple white and black clothes with brown hair and green eyes behind rimless glasses. Something was familiar about the girl, who was currently turning the pages of a book merely marked with an "A" engraved into a flower shaped plate on the front. "You at least remember your name, I hope? Getting you here was a rather trying thing to do. I hope it didn't cause much damage."

"Nil. That's what I remember. Nothing else." Nil answered, approaching the girl, who sighed in relief. As he approached, Nil raised a brow as he noticed the book she was holding was completely empty, the pages lacking so much as a blot of ink on them. Why was she flipping through it then? "Where is this place… and who the hell are you?"

"Easy answers. My name is Accord. I'm a Recorder, an android who, well… I suppose I watch over time and how it branches." The girl answered, though that only added on more questions about her. "And as for this place, it's known as the Library. Right now, we're in the Foyer. I suppose you could call this room the "hub" of the place. It's much bigger than just this."

"That answers two questions and adds a whole lot more… and why are you reading a blank book?" Nil asked, Accord clapping the book shut.

"That is an excellent question. Though despite how it looks, it's actually _not _empty. Though right now, it only has one chapter." Accord opened the book again, opening to the first page, which bore elaborate ink art of a flower, and the words 'Verse 0.' "The book begins here. You said you don't remember anything right? Well, what if I told you starting to read this book would help you remember more?"

"… huh?"

"Just give it a read and see for yourself." Accord handed the book to Nil, who turned it around in his hand, giving a cautious look to Accord. With a shrug, Nil turned the page of the book… and that was when it began glowing, the light getting brighter and brighter until it outright enveloped him within it…

* * *

_Long ago, in an age tarnished by endless conflict, five beautiful goddesses descended upon the land. The goddesses sang mystical songs that restored peace and harmony to our broken world. The people began to worship these holy songstresses, and came to refer to them as "Intoners". Thanks to the efforts of these Intoners, the chaos of war became a distant memory. And as a result, mankind enjoyed an age of sweet reverie, basking in the newfound light and beau—_

A sword shot through the writer's chest, interrupting his monologue as his pen clattered to the ground, blood dripping from the old man's mouth as he stared down at the blade protruding out of him, and he looked back to see that the black blade was held by none other than Nil, dressed in black attire and with a hood over his head from the heavy coat on him, an eyepatch covering his left eye.

"Wait… no way, Partition? Shit, I didn't recognize you. You aged pretty badly in a few months." Nil spoke wryly with sarcastic amusement in his words, the old man coughing as his eyes filled with shock.

"N-Nil!? How… you… you died back then… didn't you?" The old man spluttered, Nil shaking his head, lowering his hood so his hair fell loose, and removing the eyepatch, the item falling to the ground, and the old man's eyes went wide as he saw that the blue of Nil's left eye was marked by a black, ornately shaped zero. "So… you really are… that's why you…"

"Sorry, but rest in peace… though I'm pretty sure hell is waiting for you." With a swipe, Nil ripped his blade free of the body, blood splattering out and across the wall behind him.

"Wait, how the heck did you know that guy?" Nil turned as he wiped his blade off on the body, approaching from the other room being a girl who didn't look any older than Nil, someone who couldn't be more than seventeen. The girl was equally pale as Nil, her white hair having a vaguely pink tint to it. Her clothes were white in color and rather exposing, not leaving much to imagine about her incredibly slender body's surprisingly good curves. And over her shoulder was a long, white sword with a black edge, the sword ornately decorated with flower designs.

"Remember when you had me tailing the Intoners for a while? This guy was a mage serving one of the old lords of the land. Traveled with us for a while." Nil said, jamming his sword into a sheathe at the back of his waist. "Probably better off dead anyway, take a look, he was chained up to the table."

Nil's foot brushed against a nearby chain, the girl just humming and stepping near the window, pulling aside and looking across the city before them.

"So Zero, how much of a mess did you make on the way here huh?" Nil asked, Zero closing the curtain and stepping back from the window. "I've got a bad feeling… what did you do?"

And before anything else could be said, cannons could be heard firing, and the room was soon blasted away by an explosion, smoke filling what was left, Nil coughing as he waved it aside, though Zero was quick to leap out, and Nil let out a groan.

"Gagh… here we go again." Nil growled, rubbing his eyes and following Zero out, swinging himself off of a protruding rod from the wall, landing and driving his sword through the chink of one soldier's armor, and when others tried to strike at him, Nil raised his left arm, flames kicking up from his palm and flying back across his arm, a ball of fire being released from his hand and blasting through the oncoming soldiers with ease. With that done, Nil ripped his sword free and flipped to avoid another, descending from the upper pathway and landing next to Zero, who was standing among a slew of bodies and blood.

"Michael." Zero spoke, and from nowhere, the soldiers above the two were blown away by a gout of crimson fire, and through the smoke and embers, a dragon landed behind the two, fire broiling at his maw as he roared, "It's time… to put an end to the Intoners."

"Then let's get down to business." Nil spun his sword while fire licked across his free hand, smirking as more soldiers arrived, Michael taking off as the two began fighting again.

"Your graves beckon, apostates!"

"Die you damned traitorous Intoner!"

"I might take you seriously if your voice wasn't quivering!" Zero scoffed, one slash being all she needed to kill the soldiers, Nil skidding past and cutting down several more, flicking the blood off of his sword, Zero dashing through the next set of doors.

"Well that's one issue with these guys! They're a bunch of quivering weaklings!" Nil snapped, blocking two swords and sending the soldiers flying, another ball of fire launching from his left hand and incinerating them in seconds, Zero taking the chance as other soldiers screamed in terror at the sight to lunge at them. "And why the _hell _are there so many here already?!"

"I got impatient!" Zero snapped, looking back at Nil as her sword left another set of soldiers.

"Is _that _what you were doing after we split up!? Getting every damn soldier in the city to follow you?!" Nil yelled out as he also swung his hand and set the area near them ablaze to drive off the soldiers following them along the path, Zero just rolling her eyes. "I am 100% of your impulse control aren't I?"

"Michael! Take em' out!" Zero yelled, swiping her sword down from above.

"As you wish." Michael rumbled, his voice reverberating as did most dragons, sweeping down and blasting the soldiers that were above the Intoner and her partner into nothing more than ashes.

"That's one method of mass slaughter." Nil hummed, kicking a soldier off and leaving a nasty dent in the armor, casually sweeping his dagger past another's neck, the wound spraying blood all over the road.

"Why is an Intoner killing her own?!" One soldier snapped, and Michael hummed.

"Shall we tell them? They seem genuinely curious." Michael quipped.

"Why bother? They're about to die anyway!" Zero responded, a spinning slash bisecting more enemies, the walls of the steps she was on splattering with red, Nil then shooting past and grabbing another soldier, stabbing him and tossing the body to his comrades.

"The end of the world is nigh…"

"They… they told me Intoners were supposed to be peaceful!"

"What kind of crap are they teaching you people these days?!" Zero growled, cutting down the shrieking soldiers, but this time with a much harder slash as her expression grew angrier.

"Obviously some bullshit that's no doubt gonna piss you off." Nil muttered, kicking a cannon to turn it around and then striking its trigger, blowing away a crowd of shield holding soldiers and their allies.

"Get a medic! This crazy Intoner and her servant are gonna kill us all!"

"Sure why not, I haven't killed any medics yet." Zero chuckled, already cutting apart the next group of quarry, while Nil stabbed the soldier who'd spoke out.

"Partner is the term I prefer." Nil grumbled, kicking the body off of his sword.

"You seriously let these guys hit a chord with you Nil?" Zero scoffed, amused.

"Hey, closest thing to servant I'll tolerate is Disciple… other than that, yes, they did." Nil responded, turning around and slamming his hand onto a soldier's helmet, the blast of flame that followed turning the man's head into nothing but ash before he let go, the two continuing on until running into an even larger group of soldiers, "Do they just breed these guys like rabbits or something?"

"Get out of my way dammit!" Zero growled, sweeping her blade through, blood caking her as she cut down the soldiers in droves, Nil at her heels and picking off stragglers.

"And here she goes again…" Nil sighed, and Michael swooped back over.

"Be calm Zero, anger will only slow your sword." Michael cautioned, Zero letting out a breath.

"Look, I know that it's just… Ah, forget it!" Zero snapped, "Where the hell are my sisters?"

"I'd wager and say at the center of the city." Nil quipped, swiping his blade past a row of archers.

"Are you certain about this Zero? About slaying all the Intoners?" Michael asked, and Zero nodded as she drew her sword out of the last soldier in the swarm she and Nil had ran into before a large pair of doors.

"Of course. Why else would I be stabbing everyone?" Zero scoffed.

"Because you enjoy killing things." Nil scoffed.

"Nil, don't make me stab you as well." Zero bit, Nil chuckling.

"Couldn't help it." Nil responded, Zero sighing.

"Fine… the way they scream is pretty fun, I'll admit that." Zero muttered, kicking open the doors, which led to a large courtyard, and standing there, seemingly waiting for the two was a massive, mechanical looking beast wielding a sword just as big as it was. "Oh hell, what's this thing?"

"I bet money Three made this sucker…" Nil quipped, he and Zero dodging the massive sweep of the thing's sword.

"It's no human… and yet, not quite a beast. Likely some sort of automaton devised by the Intoners." Michael stated, Nil humming as he landed on the sword of their foe, Zero jumping and slashing at its head.

"So something made by Three then? Knew it…" Nil muttered, cutting the joint of the automaton's arm, landing behind it and stepping back from its stamping legs. "She got _way _too interested in dolls."

"Just what the hell _happened _when you were with them?" Zero asked, Nil sighing as he avoided the automaton's sword again, Zero slamming the massive weapon aside when it came near her, Nil getting up onto the thing's head and blasting flames down it's front. "Crafty little bastards though."

"Zero, don't tell me you're actually impressed by this." Nil chuckled.

"What? No, of course not. Let's just kill the thing and be done with it!" Zero snapped, jumping back from the titan, skidding back and barring her sword, Michael landing and blasting a gout of fire at the machine, only for it to lunge down and drive its sword through the dragon's wing, and Zero went to make a move, but the dragon spoke.

"Zero, go! Defeat your sisters!" Michael demanded.

"No! You don't have the strength for this!" Zero snapped, and Nil grimaced as two more of the machines appeared.

"Hahaha." Michael scoffed, "These puppets are no match for a dragon!"

"I trust that Zero. Come on, we should be close to the center now! We need to go if we're going to do this!" Nil stated, his and Zero sighed, giving a nod.

"Fine. Just don't die on me." Zero stated, turning, "Nil, let's go."

"Right behind you!" Nil responded, the two running past the dragon, who pounced at the automatons, his jaw snapping at their limbs, the dragon looking back to the two as they ran through the closing doors before them.

"Farewell, fools…" Michael hummed, roaring as he turned back to his foes.

* * *

"And right up there… I bet your sisters are waiting for us right on top of that hill." Nil looked over the edge of the walkway and up at the top of the mountain like hill that held the old cathedral this city was named after, and Zero simply growled as she turned to face the soldiers.

"All of you… Women, children, the elderly… It doesn't matter. If you stand in my way, you're gonna die." Zero's words were cold and harsh as she cut through the soldiers in her way, Nil keeping pace and matching her blows as he faced his own enemies with flames flying over the place from his hand, "If that's what you want, then get in line!"

"As bloodthirsty as ever." Nil sighed, the carnage the two brought out keeping up as they rushed along the bridge, bodies being left in their wake, the ground stained crimson by the blood of the soldiers and covered by dark scorches from Nil's flames.

"Men, take your positions, stand strong!" A soldier shouted… only to get caught in a blast of flames.

"Get. Out of. MY WAY!" Zero shouted, one heavy slash cutting through multiple soldiers.

"You guys have pissed her off now, sorry, but there's no mercy with this Intoner!" Nil shouted, launching a flying kick at a barricade and sending it careening down on the soldiers behind it, crushing them under its weight, their screams being cut short before their splatter burst from below the barricade, "And you'll get none from me either."

The two continued along the bridge, the cowering soldiers screaming in terror, and Zero was getting fed up with it as she cut down more and more.

"Shut up with the bullshit already would you?!" Zero snapped, blasting through an oncoming group of swordsman, "Move, move, move, MOVE!"

"It's Zero, Zero the betrayer!" That soldier didn't last more than a second before getting barreled through by Zero.

"Get the hell out of my way!" Zero roared, and Nil simply followed suit, though he kept a much calmer air around him as Zero cut down the soldiers in a complete rage, and once they reached the gates to the cathedral, Nil put a hand on the seething Zero's shoulder.

"Zero, come on, calm down, we're almost there." Nil murmured, Zero's breathing soon becoming lighter as she took longer breaths, "You need to stay calm when we fight them, we don't want to end up failing, not when Michael is waiting for us to end this."

"I know… sorry… I lost control." Zero replied, standing straight, Nil taking his hand off her as she looked up towards the central cathedral, "Hold on my beloved sisters. I'm coming to kill you all."

* * *

Once the Intoner and her partner had made their way to the top of the hill, the cathedral of the city, they were met by five others as they reached the entrance of the chapel, the five standing atop the entrance and looking down at the two. Zero's five sisters, the other Intoners who ruled the lands… the five they were here to kill.

"It's been a long time, Zero." The Intoner in the center was the first to speak, a small girl in white with short blonde hair, a mark of the Roman numeral for one on her forehead, her red eyes staring down at the two with disdain.

"Has it? I didn't notice." Zero scoffed in reply to the Intoner.

"You haven't changed a bit. You're still insane." The Intoner scoffed.

"Stop it, you're embarrassing me." Zero snickered.

"That wasn't a compliment." The Intoner replied.

"One, don't even try." Nil muttered, and One hummed as she saw the young man near Zero, finally drawing her attention to him.

"Nil… so, you're alive after all. And with the traitor… why am I not surprised about that?" One hummed.

"Heh, that was then and this is now." Nil sniped, flames coursing from his left hand as he flexed his fingers, and next to speak of the Intoners was the one with blue hair and eyes, a mark for two on her forehead.

"Hey, it's Zero! Hey, Zeroooo! And Nil's with her too! Cool, good to see you again!" Two called out, and the purple haired girl to two's right, who bore a mark for three, simply laughed in a mildly disturbing manner.

"Three's just gotten disturbing I see." Nil grumbled, and he let out a sigh when the Intoner marked four spoke up, "And cue Four…"

"Zero, this fighting is pointless! We have to stop, we're sisters!" Three shouted, Zero just rolling her eyes.

"Oh don't be such a prude Four." The blonde one marked five chirped, "A good catfight really gets my juices flowing… and such a fine specimen of a man she has with her… hello again Nil! It's been _so long _since we last saw each other!"

"Hehe… not a pleasure to be seeing you again Five." Nil growled, and Zero simply chuckled in sick amusement.

"Wow, I sure am popular around here." Zero scoffed.

"Enough talk Zero, this is the end." One scoffed in return… and then a fireball slammed into where the Intoners were, Zero snapping to look at Nil as he lowered his left arm as the flames around it died down.

"It was taking too long." Nil muttered, though the smoke was swiped aside by One, and the other Intoners dropped down in front of Nil and Zero. "Of _course _that didn't work."

The four Intoners shot after them, Nil blocking Five's spear while Zero swatted Two's blade to the side, Four throwing a punch that Nil stopped with his dagger after pushing Five back, Three lunging at Zero only to get kicked aside.

"Hey, Zero, guess what? Next month, I'm goin' on a trip!" Two cheerily stated, "So, actually, I really don't have time for this right now!"

"I wouldn't bother packing up for you trip Two." Zero scoffed, backing away and ending up back to back with Nil as he was shoved back by a kick from Four, though both shot back into the clashing of weapons just as fast.

"Huh? Why not? Are you gonna pack for me?" Two asked, even as she was being slashed at by Nil while he also blasted at them all with fireballs.

"No, I'm gonna kill you!" Zero snapped, shoving Three away and lunging at Two, who dodged the slash.

"Cheery as ever I see!" Nil growled, skidding back as he stopped Five's spear again.

"A caged bird cannot be free, even if it flees the cage." Three murmured, her scissors stuck on Nil's dagger, and the young man growled as she had an all too eerie grin on, even when Zero landed a solid kick to the head on her. "A bird without freedom doesn't have any place in the skies."

"Tch, you never did make any damn sense Three." Zero scoffed, stopping Four's gauntlet with the guard of her sword.

"She's a creepazoid, what do you expect?!" Nil snapped, ducking Two's sword and kicking up to knock her back.

"Perhaps restraint is a source of happiness itself." Three hummed.

"Would you just shut up and die already?!" Zero snapped, landing a blow to three, who chuckled as she skidded back, and Four shot in next, Nil attacking as she threw a flurry of punches, though Four knocked him aside without so much as a care.

"Please, Sister! Reconsider your actions!" Four shouted, "The real Zero would never do anything like this! We're a family! Whatever's troubling you, I'll help however I can!"

"So you say as you try to kick our faces in!" Nil snapped.

"And Nil, what happened to you?! You were so kind when you helped us defeat the lords, what happened to you and Zero?" Four was sent flying back as Nil blasted her, lowering his left hand as he gave a scoff.

"As I said, that was then and this is now… and just what the heck has the Flower been filling your head with huh?" Nil said, stopping a punch from Four, grabbing her arm and wheeling around to kick her to the side.

"You'll help huh?" Zero hummed, dodging stabs from Five, "Well, I suppose there is _one _thing you can do for me… You can curl up and _die!" _

Four was knocked aside next, Nil skidding back as she got one last kick in on him, and Five chuckled as she attacked him again, Nil dodging the spear, parrying and growling as sparks flew off his blades when he caught it, the blonde than turning to Zero.

"Are you _really _about to get ravaged by your own sisters Zero?" Five mused, shooting away from Nil's sword as he attacked her again.

"Whatever. Stop leering at me." Zero scoffed, Five licking her lips.

"I just _love _a sore loser… and I am quite surprised to see Nil with you, dear sister… quite the shocking development, we thought he'd died! Oh I bet you have such _amazing _times in the bedroom, don't you? It just makes me all the more curious to what you're _really _like." Five hummed in a manner that seemed _aroused, _and Nil shuddered, a disgusted growl coming from him.

"Again, _fuck off." _Nil snapped, ducking attacks from the other three Intoners, "Lay off me will ya?!"

"Ugh, I get the worst headaches from listening to you. And he's useful in a fight, that's why he's here." Zero responded, Five chuckling, while Nil rolled his eyes.

"I understand _that, _but honestly, there's surely another reason. You _are _an Intoner after all. If he can manage you, I can only _wonder _what he's like… makes me want some myself." Five mused.

"FUCK OFF!" Nil shouted, still stuck fighting Two, Three, and Four, forcing them back by sweeping flames between himself and the group.

"And so what if we do? None of your business to know what I do with Nil, so shove off and die already!" Zero snapped, and Five chuckled again.

"Oh my… did I just hear a hint of possessiveness in your voice right then?" Five chuckled, "Ah, such an amusing sight…"

"Just shut up already!" Nil shouted, breaking free of his engagement and lunging with his sword trailing flames, Five dodging and sweeping her blade up, knocking Nil back and to Zero's side again.

"What do want from us, Zero?" One demanded, still above the fight down below.

"What do you think?" Zero replied, "There's only enough room in this world for _one _Intoner."

"And you'd kill your own sisters for that right?" One demanded, Zero simply scoffing in reply.

"That's kind of what I'm doing, yeah." Zero replied.

"…Traitor." One growled.

"Can't really betray someone you were never on the same side as." Nil said in addition, and One scoffed at the Disciple, snapping her fingers, her sisters pulling back and returning to her side, and One then stepped forward, raising a hand up.

"Gabriel!" One commanded, a magic circle forming above her, and dropping from it came a large, beast of a dragon with armor over its face and ominous purple scales, it's jaws slowly opening as it growled, then letting out a roar at Zero and Nil as they readied their weapons again.

"Hey Gabriella… been a while." Nil murmured, a grimace coming to his face. "The hell did you do to her huh One eh? Transforming a dragon into a daemon… hah, and you call yourselves the good guys!"

"Hah, rare to see you being mad about something!" Zero said, dodging the stamps of Gabriel as the dragon lumbered about, Nil jumping onto the beasts back and driving his blade in, keeping a hold as Gabriel tried to shake him off. "That's no longer a dragon you've got there One. It's just a monster!"

"A shame, I actually liked Gabriella too! But now we're here!" Nil snapped, rolling in the air as he was thrown off, using his sword as a brake as he landed. "It's a dying goddamn shame."

"Shut up!" One snapped, genuinely angry, "I'm not subject your judgement, Sister! And you Nil… a traitor like you has no right to pass judgement on our actions! We Intoners swore to keep the world in balance! And now you seek all our power for yourself? It's shameful!"

"What's shameful is what you've done to your supposed "friend"! You shouldn't be assuming so much either." Nil snapped, dodging the beast's maw.

"SHUT UP!" One snapped, and Zero shook her head.

"Yak yak yak yak. Shut up and DIE ALREADY!" Zero roared, Gabriel then swiping his tail, sending both fighting him flying to the edge of the cliff, Nil and Zero shooting back in as Gabriel tried to spear them by launching glowing, sword like projectiles at them with swipes of his tail, though Nil and Zero closed the distance again, but, their attacks didn't seem to have any effect on the daemon dragon.

Eventually, Gabriel growled, sweeping Zero and Nil back again, Nil landing further back than Zero, and Gabriel then fired a blast from his maw, Zero caught in it, her effort to dodge falling short, and the blast took her left arm, and Zero struggled as she couldn't stay up, blood spurting from her wound, and Nil's eye widened.

"Zero!" Nil yelped, running back to Zero's side, snarling as he turned to face One, who was no in front of her daemon, a stoic expression on her face.

"Finish them." One ordered, Gabriel charging another blast, Zero struggling up.

"You…" Zero growled, "Will DIE!"

As Zero shouted, Michael shot up from below, his wings flaring out as he rose up despite the wounds on him.

"Zero, Nil!" Michael shouted.

"Fire!" Zero and Nil shouted, Michael firing his own blast at one, and the other four sisters rushed down near one, combining their Songs to form a barrier to stop the blast, though Michael maintained it even amid the barrier holding it back.

"How can he still have so much strength…" One murmured, looking to Nil and Zero, the Disciple now helping his Intoner to her feet, and Gabriel then released his own blast, Michael shooting down and shielding Zero and Nil with a wing, but the blast sent him flying and tumbling down the side of the cliff, and with him, the Intoner and Disciple were gone with him, but certainly not dead, leaving the other five Intoners to overlook where they had fallen.

"They fled." One scoffed, her sisters visibly exhausted by her, "You truly thought to kill the Intoners? Silly girl. Hahahahaha… Now, let us sing of the world's end."

* * *

And just outside the city, the wounded Michael collapsed on the plains, falling from his grasp being the now unconscious Zero and Nil, who was breathing heavily as he got up.

"Michael?!" Nil went to the dragon's side, immediately getting blood on his hands when he touched the grey beast, Michael's breathing shallow, "Hey, come on! You can't die dammit! Zero told you not to die on her!"

"Hehehe… Sorry… but… I don't think I can… keep to that." Michael weakly replied, "At the very least… I'll reincarnate. The new dragon… will be in your care, Nil. So long as a dragon is with your two, you… can fulfill Zero's mission."

"I'm not going to need to because you're not dying on me! We'll make a Pact; I'll give up something of mine to keep you alive! Zero needs you around!" Nil shouted, Michael shaking his head.

"You… cannot… Zero… would never forgive you… if you did…" Michael stated, Nil growling as he slammed a fist on the ground, "Once I pass… you need to hide Zero… somewhere safe. Take my reincarnation… and raise him… to be strong."

"Dammit Michael… don't ask me to do that… I don't care what I have to give up, I'm not letting you die! Zero would never be able to let it go if you die!" Nil snapped, tears coming from his visible eye, and even past his eyepatch, and Michael chuckled.

"Do not… cry for me Nil… we only knew each other… for a short while, but… I am glad I got to call you and Zero friends… she's going to need you just as much, if not more, than ever… watch after her… and my reincarnation… please, promise me that." Michael asked, Nil nodding, wiping his eyes off.

"I will… I swear… and this time, when I meet your reincarnation, I'll make sure he sees things through! Once this all ends, he'll still be there, I promise you that. I'll take care of Zero to… I'll do whatever I can to make sure she sees her goals to the end… I'm her Disciple… it's my job to do that anyway." Nil declared, Michael nodding.

"Good… then… I will see you… in my next life. Farewell… for now… my friend." Michael let out one final breath with those words, his head sagging down as the breath left his body, and Nil clenched his teeth as his fingers dug into the ground.

"Goodbye, Michael." Nil said, the dragon's body beginning to glow and bits of light fading off, until all that was left was a much smaller, barely cat sized dragon with scales a very dull grey, and with barely a nub of a tail and horns. Zero took off his jacket and wrapped the small dragon in it, hefting it up in his arms, a small quail coming from it. "Mikhail… that's your name?"

It was an immediate sense. Like the moment the dragon moved with any life, he just knew what to call it. The tiny dragon quailed again, Nil smiling as he pulled the coat tighter to cover it up more, and with another move, lifting the out cold Zero up and onto his back.

"Ngh… good thing you're light as hell Zero, else this'd be annoying."

* * *

It suddenly felt like he'd been released from something as his vision faded back to looking at the book. Nil immediately stumbled back as if he'd been released from a hold of some kinda, falling to his rear on the floor as the book fell down, the pages whirling and then the book slammed shut.

"What… what the hell happened?!" Nil shook his head as he felt it throb, Accord picking the book up and dusting it off, opening it and humming as she opened it to a particular page.

"You just relived the events recorded in that Verse." Accord stated, Nil looking confused as he stood up. "These books are special. Like I said, read them, and they will allow you to remember the events that occurred before you arrived here. There is a catch though, in that the other books will not open until the prior one has been read to completion, so no skipping parts, alright?"

"I don't think I can skip anything if it works like _that." _Nil took the book as Accord handed it to him. "Is there any _other _catch I should know about before I dive back into whatever horrid events this thing has in it?"

"For now, no." Accord said, tapping Nil on the forehead. "Once you finish Book A, we will have plenty to discuss. For now, just keep at it. If you feel the need to take a break and ask me questions, feel free."

"Alright then…" Nil then found a chair had rather conveniently appeared behind him, and with a shrug, he sat down in the plush red velvet seat, glancing over to Accord as the mysterious girl began flipping through other books of various kinds. Nil opened the A book once more, the pages falling open onto a new one, this page marked by an image of waves, marked 'Chapter One.' "My how inventive… whatever… let's see what else is in store then."

* * *

**A/N**

**So this is a thing that wound up happening. Been meaning to get my ass back on this for a while and HEY, I've been on a recent Yoko Taro binge. Whipped up something for Nier Automata to do down the line, watched the YoRHa boys stage play… regretted having not gotten my ass to actually finishing Automata. Watched a whole lotta Clemps videos… dived into TvTropes and wikis… needless to say my mind's been in a mode for a few days now. So who's gonna catch what inspired me to do this whole library thing with stuff eh?**


	2. Verse 1

_Disciple of Zero_

**Verse 1: Set Out over the Waves**

Morning had quite long since it had come around that day. Nil, the kind of person to rise bright and early to immediately get to work at _something, _would have normally by this point been well out of bed and busy by the time the sun had just begun to peak out over the horizon. Today was not one of those days apparently, because getting out of bed in the position he was now in was, functionally speaking, almost impossible.

This small little house that was nestled away within the coastal region of the Land of Seas was where for the past year, Nil and Zero had hidden away after the failed battle at the Cathedral City. While Zero had pretty much remained mostly cooped up the entire time to recover from her wounds, it had fallen onto Nil to do… well, basically everything over the past year. From hunting to even just keeping the darn place clean, and the occasional trips into a nearby town in order to get supplies they needed he simply couldn't forage.

And on _top _of that also came with Mikhail. But, the situation with the dragon was a later explanation.

As for Nil's predicament, well, it was quite hard to get out of bed when he had Zero seemingly attempting to turn his waist into powder with how hard she was going at her riding motions. Nil was full well and used to dealing with Zero's utterly endless lust, and if he _hadn't _been than the past year probably would've been outright torture. But today was one of those days Zero seemed especially bad for whatever reason and had mounted him without another word.

Granted Nil knew why, as for said past year Zero had also been dealing with nightmares, sometimes involving Michael, a loss she was still not completely over… so when that happened, well, the current situation was the usual result.

And _being _so used to this kind of thing, Nil's mind was usually able to go elsewhere until Zero had cooled herself off. Which finally happened and left Nil covering his ears a bit because Zero was quite _loud _when it came around to her erotic peaks. Nil let out a sigh as she finally slowed and laid down on his front, her soft body pressed into his as she kept pecking at his neck. Though while this was definitely something he enjoyed, there _was _another thing that irked Nil as he felt it brush against him, and became clear and visible as Zero sat up.

At some point during this year, out of Zero's right eye had now bloomed a peculiar, pale pink flower. As far as Nil was concerned, the things surprising beauty was lost on the fact of just how it had actually come about. It was something of an annoying sight for him.

"You're being too quiet." Zero muttered, Nil scoffing as he sat up, Zero stubbornly clinging onto him as she put her arms around his neck.

"Well when I wake up and basically get assaulted, 'course I'd be thinking of something else." Nil remarked, Zero whacking him on the shoulder. Though for her, rather weakly as he barely felt more than a tap from her fist. Zero's left arm had long since regenerated from the incident due to her powers, but a black mark where it had previously been lost had remained. Nil couldn't help but put his fingers to the mark. "I'm surprised you actually listened to me when I said you'd be better off letting yourself regenerate the arm rather than using a prosthetic."

"It got annoying." Zero moved her left arm as she spoke, curling her slender fingers a bit as she bent the arm. "I can at least use it as extra armor. But I need some kind of reminder about last year."

"Of course, of course." Nil said, leaning back on his arms. "So how long are you going to keep grinding into my waist like you are?"

"I'm not done, and neither are you." Zero put her right hand down to below her navel, chuckling as she leaned in on Nil as he looked to the side a bit. "So come on, don't sit there."

"I mean aside from the fact I feel mildly numb from how hard you were riding me not a few minutes ago, I _do _have things I need to do you know… unless today is actually the day you're ready to get going."

"Why the hell do you think we're doing this _now _huh?" Zero said, Nil shrugging. "Because no shit we're leaving today. It's been a full year. I'm more than recovered by now. Plus, that dragon is at least ready as well."

"Well good to know you actually think that much about Mikhail now." Nil mused, and when Zero herself shrugged, Nil snickered as he saw a sudden chance. With a quick, deft move, Nil grabbed Zero by her wrists and quickly flipped their positions, getting above her instead. "And since I'm clearly not allowed to go anywhere yet, I'm taking the lead from here. And we're not keeping it up until noon this time, since you seem oh so ready to head on out."

"Fine be me." Zero said, licking her lips. When the girl wasn't being, well, a wildly angry and bloodthirsty maniac, Nil had long since found out she was otherwise quite sultry and surprisingly pleasant… best put, a flower with prominently sharp thorns but who still had a pleasant fragrance. "Don't slack off now."

"Hah! Try me. I know everything about you Zero."

* * *

"What the hell is this?!" Nil couldn't help but suddenly find himself pulling out of things as that "scene" faded out, looking at Accord with a mixed glare and confused gaze. The glasses wearing girl just looked at him with a casual glance. "Seriously, what, the, hell?!"

"What? That's just part of the story. Stop complaining and keep reading. If you're serious about getting your memories back, then you got to actually read it through."

"Ugh, fine." Nil opened the book back up again, thankfully, the pages filing back to where he'd shut it all on its own, and he felt that sensation of being pulled into it once more.

* * *

"So you really are gonna use that as armor huh?"

"Like I said."

Nil hummed as Zero kept flexing her left arm, now clad in black armor that originally was going to be made for use as a prosthetic in the place of the missing limb before she decided to actually let it regenerate. Of course saying the reason _why _she chose so while she claimed it was convenient would have well earned Nil a whack to the shoulder as was her _typical _response to his snide remarks.

Both took a moment more to test their weapons. Zero's sword hadn't seen any good use in over a year, but the blade's edge hadn't dulled at all thanks to Nil's care for it, and it gave a nice, small sound as Zero swung it through the air. In the same case, Nil's own black sword was similarly well kept despite the lack of use. But his concern was elsewhere. A flick of his arm caused flames to shoot across the limb and to his hands to form a fireball, then a second made it snuff out, a third then creating sparks of blue lightning over his palm.

"Good, I can still use magic." Nil flexed his left hand fingers as he lowered his arm, Zero nodding as he took a moment to look rather closely as the zero symbol marking Nil's left eye. "What?"

"Nothing. Just be sure to put both to good use. That magic of yours should get stronger as we kill more Intoners too." As Zero went to the door of the house after jamming her sword into the sheathe Nil had made for it, she stopped when another kind of sound carried in past the opened windows. While Nil looked somewhat amused as childish laughter also carried in, Zero looked annoyed downright immediately. "What's that racket?"

"Oh no…" Nil muttered, following Zero out as she threw the door open, and when the two were out on the walkway of the small shack that was their hideaway, they easily found the source of the sounds: A dragon.

While the dragon was around the same size as Michael, this dragon in fact being his reincarnation, Mikhail, this one, who was a pale gray shade with small horns and over all… unimpressive for a dragon. But considering this dragon, who was joyfully rolling around in the mud and giggling with the voice of a child, was only one year old, this could be expected.

"And he's at it again I see." Nil chuckled, an amused smile on his face as he folded his arms while Zero just looked annoyed… though that was her default expression really. Either way, the Intoner didn't look at all amused by Mikhail's antics, unlike her relatively kinder Disciple, tapping her foot as Mikhail sloshed around in the mud, sending it flying everywhere, at which Nil opened a hand and began to count down.

"KNOCK IT OOFFFF!" Zero shouted, Mikhail freezing with his wings raised like as if he was raising his arms in the classic "halt" position, "How many times have I told you… DON'T ROLL AROUND IN THE FUCKING MUD!"

Nil sighed as Zero stamped her foot while she shouted, Mikhail twitching in place… before proceeding to urinate into the mud, much to Zero's annoyance and Nil's exasperation, the two standing in wait… and once the dragon was done, he immediately ran off.

"I'm soooorrryyyy!" Mikhail whined, Nil rubbing the back of his head as he sighed again.

"Come on Zero, he's only a year old can't you be a bit nicer to him?" Nil muttered, flinching after Zero punched his shoulder, "Ow..."

"Don't lecture me about mistreating him when you do nothing but dote on him. Honestly..." Zero huffed, stalking down the wooden walkway, Nil rubbing his shoulder as he followed, rolling his eyes.

"I'm just saying." Nil grumbled, Zero glancing back at him, then rolling her eye and sighing.

"It won't… it won't happen again." Mikhail murmured, looking back at the Intoner and Disciple.

"Mikhail it's fine! Zero is just being crabb-OW!" Nil was interrupted when Zero punched his arm again, "That's my sword arm!"

"Then shut up, and maybe I won't break it with the next one." Zero retorted, Mikhail snickering in amusement as they went over the hill in the small gorge that had been their home for the past year.

"Hey, you're really okay Zero? You're not hurt anymore?" Mikhail asked, Zero nodding.

"Well, it took a year, but yeah, I'm good. Good thing for me Nil was around to make things easier." Zero stated, moving her let arm a bit, the group coming to the tree line on the gorge.

"All I did was help patch you up and keep you from doing anything stupid. And cook. And clean. Basically everything. Wasn't much." Nil replied, Zero giving him a look that outright said both knew better and were just keeping quiet about it around Mikhail.

"Shouldn't you rest some more though?" Mikhail inquired as he continued ahead to the nearby natural wall of the gorge.

"And watch you roll around in shit all day? No thanks." Zero scoffed.

"That wasn't the only thing you did." Nil offhandedly murmured, Zero shooting a glare at him again.

"Your big fight last year was pretty hard, huh?" Mikhail asked, Zero and Nil nodding as they stopped at the small pond Mikhail was in, the dragon cleaning the mud off of himself.

"Yep." Zero stated.

"Like you would not believe." Nil added, "Doesn't help when you get ditched right at the start."

"Are you still hanging onto that?!" Zero sighed, Nil nodding.

"Yeup."

"Did Michael say he was scared or anything?" Mikhail asked, continuing the string of questions, Zero laughing bitterly.

"Are you kidding?!" Zero scoffed, "Hmm, I guess you didn't retain any of his memories, huh?"

"Nope. Still, I can't believe he wasn't scared!" Mikhail chuckled, shaking off the water on him, "That's great, just great! I'm gonna try to be just like him!"

"That's a good goal, right Zero?" Nil chuckled, jabbing Zero with his elbow, the Intoner just glaring at him as they continued along the pathway.

"Yeah, whatever." Zero muttered, and as the trio came out of the gorge, Mikhail took off, sailing out over the open seas in front of them.

"So, Zero, what'd you call Michael?" Mikhail inquired, Nil glancing at Zero as she sighed.

"Uh, 'Michael'?" Zero muttered, a hand on her hip as she and Nil got on a small ridge.

"So why don't you call me 'Mikhail' huh?" Mikhail prodded further, Nil clicking his tongue, "You know, instead of 'dummy' or 'hey, you' or… whatever…"

"He has a point Zero." Nil quipped, letting out a hiss after Zero jabbed him with her left arm… the one covered by armor. "Owwwwww….."

"Oh stop complaining you've suffered worse!" Zero snapped, her hands on her hips as Nil rubbed his arm.

"Yeah but I won't be much use if you keep whacking my sword arm like that! I'm right-handed dammit!" Nil retorted, Zero scoffing as she kept moving forward.

"You're ambidextrous, quit flubbing. I'd know. Now, back on topic." Zero murmured, looking at Mikhail, Nil giving a look that said he caught the comment, "You need to be a full-fledged dragon before I use your name. Now, you see that battleship?" Zero then pointed off over the cliff to a ship sitting in the bay before the group, Mikhail nodding as he swooped by. "Torch it."

"Huh? Why? Can't we just talk to them instead?" Mikhail asked, Zero rolling her eye at the thought.

"Are you kidding? That'd be too much effort." Zero scoffed.

"That and those guys are Five's soldiers… they're liable to try and kill all three of us on sight… probably because Five promised to bust their pelvises if they did as she said." Nil chimed in, Zero suppressing the urge to chuckle in amusement as they got to a better point to view the ship from, Zero pointing at the ship, which was billowing smoke.

"You take out the ship from the air. Nil and me will deal with the trash on the ground." Zero ordered, Mikhail nodding and gliding off.

"Okay." Mikhail responded, Nil rolling his arms before drawing his sword as Zero drew her own weapon.

"Time to get to work again." Nil chuckled, spinning his blade as the gate before him and Zero opened the two already spotting the soldiers on the other side. Nil took the initiative by lobbing a fireball into the group, the exploding bundle of flame sending multiple soldiers flying.

"All right, I'm going after the ship. Be careful, Zero, Nil!" Mikhail's voice came through thanks to the telepathic connection between the dragon and the two on the ground, Zero scoffing in response as she and Nil dove into the fighting with weapons glaring, the white and black blades becoming smeared in blood once again for the first time in a year.

"Worry about yourself dummy. And stay focused!" Zero ordered, kicking a soldier off into the wall of the gorge, Nil leaping out from a group that tried to rush him, roasting them with a line of lightning that shot from his hand with a mere flick.

"We'll be fine Mikhail. Small fry like these guys are nothing but bugs." Nil stated, landing while also impaling two soldiers on his sword, breaking right through their plate armor with the stab, Zero slashing the remaining soldier of the squad.

"So this… is the power of an Intoner…" The dying soldier muttered before his form collapsed.

"Anyone in my way's gonna lose a head!" Zero declared, Nil shooting ahead and dashing past the next squad of soldiers with his blade edged in electricity, each of them dropping like sacks, "Watch it dummy, we're on Five's turf now!"

"You got it." Mikhail responded, the dragon flying past as another group arrived.

"Just keep up alright, that's all ya' need to do." Nil stated, flipping over a knight and kicking him right onto Zero's sword.

"Or else you'll end up dead… by me personally." Zero warned, one massive swing sending the remaining soldiers charging at the two over the cliff, Nil letting out a breath as the sound of metal breaking to the sound of the solders falling onto the spiky rocks below sounded.

"_That__ one_ had to hurt." Nil whistled, he and Zero continuing to scythe their way through the soldiers trying to rush them along the seaside cliffs, and as typical for them, their banter was anything _but _regarding the ongoing slaughter.

"Hey, so you Intoners are all sisters, right?" Mikhail inquired, Zero nodding amid the spurts of blood her sword was causing, Nil currently dealing with some archers further ahead by way of a barrage of firebolts.

"More or less." Zero answered giving something of a shrug amid her sword swings.

"Man, I'm jealous. I don't have any brothers or sisters." Mikhail hummed, "What about you Nil? Do you have any siblings?"

"Nope, and kinda glad I don't." Nil responded, jumping back to the ground from having been higher up, matching pace with Zero again.

"Having no siblings beats having a bunch you need to kill." Zero added, Mikhail making an affirming hum in response.

"Uh, yeah, I guess…" Mikhail hummed, flitting by the view of the Intoner and Disciple, "Y'know Zero, I don't think you should kill your sisters?"

"Oh yeah?" Zero responed, Nil rolling his eyes as they pushed further into the ravine, the beachhead leading to the ocean ruins coming into view.

"Yeah! If there's a problem, you should just talk it out." Mikhail stated, Zero giving Nil a "Is he serious?" look, "I mean, that's the whole reason people have voices right?"

"Talking wouldn't do any good Mikhail… that's the sad truth behind Zero and her sisters." Nil stated, Zero nodding firmly to the comment.

"Exactly. Not use in this voice trying to be all nice… they wouldn't listen." Zero bitterly added, kicking a few soldiers off of the cliff to the churning waters below as Mikhail flew by again.

"Is there no way you and your sisters can get along? No way at all?" Mikhail asked, only getting a small, curt answer.

"No."

"What if they say you're sorry… or bring you cake?"

"…No."

"Awwww…."

"Better to just accept it Mikhail… we don't really have a choice in the matter anyway." Nil stated, a look of annoying passing on his face as he caught an arrow from an archer, flicking it around and throwing it like a javelin back at the soldier who'd fired it, the arrowhead piercing through the soldier's mask.

"I still don't get why you and Zero are doing this though." Mikhail added, Zero sighing as she and Nil wrapped up the guards at the gate leading down to the beachhead.

"Look, I want to be the only Intoner in the world." Zero replied, "And that means I have to kill the others. Clear enough for you?"

"No. Not really." Mikhail answered, "And it still leaves the question why Nil is doing this to, he's so nice!"

"I'm Zero's Disciple. Where she goes, I go. Her goals are my goals… and, trust me Mikhail, there's more to this than you think." Nil gave his own answer, the young dragon letting out a long hum again.

"I don't get it… I just don't get it." Mikhail answered, flying off to deal with another battleship, Zero looking at Nil.

"You know we can't tell him the truth." Zero stated, Nil nodding.

"Yeah… you're the one who beat it into my head." Nil stated, the gate then slamming shut behind the two, both Intoner and Disciple letting out long, annoyed groans as they turned to face the new gaggle of soldiers rushing from the other end to face them, _more _arriving from landing boats at the shore.

"Ugghhh, screw this! Hey, you! Get your tail over here!" Zero shouted, Mikhail gliding over, "Roast em!"

"Okay." Mikhail responded, doing as ordered and roasting the newly arrived soldiers to nothing more than armored crisps, Zero letting out a huff as she and Nil moved through the smoldering wreckage as Mikhail landed, "I'm here if you two ever need me!"

"Damn right you are." Zero stated, looking for a way to get the other gate open that _wouldn't _involve just having Mikhail blast it apart. "And when you _do _help, you better not chicken out on me. That means no running away like a crybaby. And no rolling around in your own filth."

"Oh all right." Mikhail dejectedly sighed, Nil chuckling as he also happened to find the lever to open the gate.

"I _would _make a mom joke about here, but I see it's not needed." Nil snickered, Zero shooting him a _mildly _entertained look as the gates opened, the girl putting a hand on her hips as the other placed her sword across her shoulders, "And _hey! _Would ya' look at that, these idiots left some good camping supplies! We're gonna need those. Mikhail, sit still for a minute, you're gonna have to carry the bags alright?"

"Fine by me! Carrying things like this is easy!" Mikhail chuckled, Zero shaking her head as she looked out to the horizon, where they could _just _see their target location.

"Alright, Five should be at the Shrine of Seas just up there… probably the first time the tramps even seen a shrine." Zero scoffed, being met by Nil's own dry laughter.

"Oh I'm sure she has! Probably a sex shrine dedicated to how much of a whore she is!" Nil quipped, Zero biting her lip as a sound that indicated she was resisting laughter came out of her throat, a detail Nil did _not _miss, "Caught that! You almost laughed!"

"N-No I didn't." Zero muttered, Nil snickering, stepping back when Zero swung at him.

"Is Five anything like you Zero?" Mikhail innocently asked.

"_No." _Both Zero and Nil answered with utter _disgust _dripping from their tongues, which seemingly went unnoticed by the naïve dragon.

"I'm gonna talk to her. Maybe then you won't have to fight!" Mikhail stated, Zero giving a firm look to the Dragon, sighing and moving on. Nil shook his head while also giving a bit of a shudder to the idea.

"Whatever."

"'Cause if she's nothing like you, maybe she'll actually listen to me!" Mikhail state, Nil shaking his head.

"Sorry Mikhail, that's not gonna do ya' any good… just because she's not like Zero doesn't mean Five'll listen. I've met her, I _know." _Nil answered, looking across the other way, tapping Zero on the shoulder, "Uh… Zero, was there always a shop here?"

"What?" Zero muttered, turning around and raising a brow when she saw the same shop Nil was looking at, the two going over to the currently merchant-less but not empty shop, a note on the table, "What's this?"

"Dear Customers: Welcome to the weapon shop." Nil read, Zero raising a brow, "Unfortunately the owner is away, but we're still conducting business through the mail…"

"Mail order weapons? The heck kinda shop is this?" Zero scoffed, Mikhail curious meandering over as Nil read the rest of the note.

"Please place your orders via the post-mission battle preparation menu, and we'll get the new gear out to you as soon as possible. Sincerely, Accord… the fuck?" Nil murmured, Zero shrugging.

"Eh, let's keep it in mind. Gotta do something with all the gold we're gonna be looting. Not like we _need _new weapons though." Zero pointed out, Nil shrugging and turning to follow, looking back at the shop and giving a hum.

"Accord though huh? Weird name don't you think?" Nil said, Zero just shrugging. "I mean I thought it was worth commenting on. But, whatever, let's get going."

"Good. Now let's get moving! The Shrine isn't too far away!" Zero declared, already moving up the hill past the gate.

"Right behind you." Nil responded, Mikhail chuckling.

"Roger that!"

* * *

"Mail order weapons… we serious?" Nil looking away from the book again and too Accord, who gave a chuckle as she shut the book she herself was reading.

"Well, why don't you take a look at your side now?" Accord pointed off, and Nil set the record down… then hearing a metallic sound from his side.

Now there suddenly, was the same sword the him in the book's record had. Nil reached to the weapon and pulled it from the sheathe, it's black blade glinting a bit as he angled it in the light… even if there wasn't really a proper light source to be found in that sunless yet somehow bright sky coming from the glass ceiling above.

"What the… when did this?"

"It appeared after that Verse ended." Accord said, strolling over with her odd gait, Nil sheathing the sword and glancing at her with a raised brow. "That is part of what you'll need to do. Reclaim your weapon, and reclaim your ability over magic. Once you do that, _then _you'll need to head into the Library itself. The other Records, if you want to access them and find out what their Branches hold, then you'll need to venture into the Wings and restore their pages."

"Of course it's going to be more complicated than just reading through these things in order." Nil leaned his head back and gave a long sigh, rolling it to look at Accord as she put her arms behind her back. "What's the end goal behind this anyway?"

"Simple." Accord then produced another book, one like the others… only this one was marked with an E on it's clasp. "We're going to make a new Branch. One where the fates of those of you who were trapped in that cycle can break free… that _is _what you wished for after all."

"What I wished for?" Nil tilted his head then looked back to the A book, picking it up and opening it's covers back to where he left off, looking at the words now appearing on the page where he'd left off, more showing as he scanned over them. "Well, only one way to find out."


	3. Verse 2

Disciple of Zero

**Verse 2: A Shrine of Seas**

"This was a bad idea."

Nil gave a sigh as he stared at the hook for the fishing rod he'd pilfered from the soldier's supplies from the last fight, shrugging and casting the line back out with fresh bait, the soft _plip _of the hook hitting the water sounding a short ways off from the shore of the inlet, the smoking remains of the boats, added by the smell of charbroiled metal and flesh not really doing much to bother Nil at the time.

"_Please _tell me something is biting, I'm starving."

"Not yet…" Nil muttered, glancing over as Zero sat down beside him, watching the line carefully. "I think the fish around here got scared off when Mikhail was blasting the shit out of those boats."

"Please, they'd have come back by now. We've been resting for a while anyway." Zero stated, one of her legs bouncing, Nil chuckling.

"Yet I can tell you're eager to get a move on already." Nil mused, twitching the line in the hopes of _something _biting, "Ugh, come on, I normally have better luck than this."

Zero didn't give a verbal answer, but the rumble of her stomach clued the Disciple in on the tone and her crabby expression as her right fingers rolled on the sand. A pervading silence followed as only the lapping of the waves hitting the shore provided noise.

…

…

…

"Nothing. All those explosions definitely scared the fish off." Nil sighed, reeling the line back in, Zero giving a pouting sigh.

"Great, so now I'm hungry _and _pissed off. Well, whatever." Zero muttered, staring at Nil's back as he shoved the rod back into the pack he had with him, already starting to creep over towards him.

"I know what you're thinking Zero, and the answer is no." Nil spouted, not even looking around. "We took up enough time this morning."

"I have no idea what you mean." Zero shot to her feet, Nil chuckling.

"Hehehehe… please, I've been stuck with you for years Zero. I know damn well how you get when you're not on an adrenaline high." Nil hummed, hefting the pack over his shoulder, "Besides, if we _did, _you wouldn't have any pent up anger to vent on your sister once we find her."

"Oh come on, I'd just get back into the groove anyway!" Zero snapped, Nil dodging the punch she threw at him, "Don't dodge!"

"Haha! Not today Zero." Nil scoffed, dodging another punch from the Intoner and catching the next one, "How about this? We kill Five, _then _I'll take care of it, okay? I won't complain and we can go at it all night. Deal?"

"Ugh, fine." Zero huffed, heading back down to the camp, then halting, "That just have me an idea actually…"

"Oh crap." Nil sighed, Zero chuckling to herself.

"Once we kill the bitch, we add insult to injury by engaging in some old-fashioned debauchery in her room. Hah! That skank'll have all of this coming to her!" Zero declared, Nil sighing and rolling his eye.

"I'd rather _not _do it in that woman's room, but, whatever, you won't go back on it now." Nil muttered, Zero chuckling.

"Hey! Dragon, get your ass up, we're getting on with this!" Zero shouted, making her point by punching Mikhail on the head, the young dragon yelping as he shot up, Nil stamping out what was left of the campfire.

"Ahh! I'm up, I'm up!" Mikhail screeched, Zero rolling her eyes as she turned, grabbing her sword from nearby and hefting it over her shoulders.

"Let's get going. The shrine city Five is at should be nearby. Strange you can't see it yet, it's supposed to be pretty big." Nil clambered up onto the rocks and looked out further down the coastline, Zero giving a hum as she joined him on the perch.

"That is strange… then again there is some fog rolling in." Zero added, Nil shrugging, "Better not be some cheap tactic like being hidden _under _the water or something."

"I'll bet money on it." Nil quipped, Mikhail looking between the Disciple and Intoner, chuckling.

"Well, enough chatting around, let's go! There's gonna be a bunch of soldiers showing up soon and I'm in the mood for some murder." Zero rolled her right shoulder as she spoke, pointing her sword forward, "Let's go and kill an Intoner."

* * *

"So… what happens once you kill all your sisters?" Mikhail posed the question as the Intoner and Disciple duo headed up the path edging closer to the coastline. Zero gave a snicker to it, Nil already seeing the coming remark.

"I eat 'em."

"Aaaaahhh!"

"She's messing with you Mikhail." Nil sighed as he tapped Zero on the back of the head for her rather poor-in-taste joke. The Intoner whacked him back in response.

"Oh, haha, I totally believed you!" Mikhail laughed as he realized the joke, though in the meantime of course such things were being said as Nil and Zero began cutting their way through the soldiers that began charging down the road at them.

"Once I kill them, I can exploit their powers." Zero said, Mikhail making a humming noise in response.

"So, you're going to steal their Intoner magic and stuff?"

"Think of it like this…" Nil paused for a moment as he ducked a slash from a soldier, driving his sword in between the gap in the armor to nail the soldier straight in the heart. "When Zero kills another Intoner, their power goes to her, as she's the nearest Intoner for that power to enter. Plus since I'm her Disciple, it also means I'll get stronger too."

"In short terms, that." Zero clarified, Nil shaking his head, the two reaching yet another gateway leading onto yet _another_ soldier infested beach.

"What, does Five just place all her soldiers on these beaches or what?" Nil scoffed in annoyance as he side stepped a jab from a spear, metal screaming as he drove his sword through the armor plating, Zero kicking another soldier into those behind.

"Wow, look at them! They're everywhere!"

"They're like ants to you, just crush 'em." Zero ever so casually suggested, Mikael making an unnerved sound as he flew by overhead. The Intoner and Disciple used the distraction of the soldiers' shock to quickly cut the lot down.

"That's really mean Zero." Mikhail said, Nil shrugging to add to it.

Nil then ducked another spear and grabbed the shaft, flinging the soldier off and impaling him on his own weapon, driving the spear through the armor and deep into the sand before spinning around and jumping over another soldier, Zero running the enemy through, and both let out annoyed groans when two boats crashed onto the shore.

"You'd think they'd stop spreading their numbers so thin." Nil caught an arrow launched from an archer's bow from a distance, seeing the enemy flinch from the lightning fast reaction, Nil smirking as he snapped the arrow in his hand merely by tightening his grip on it. He followed up by loosing a blast of lightning that arced through the men on the boat, their wild screams as they were fried alive carrying through the air.

"Hey, the more we kill now, the less we have to deal with when we find Five!" Zero said, Nil nodding in agreement. The effortless attacks from the two continued into the next small cape, the duo cutting their way to a cliffside outlet, Nil whispering as they jumped onto the wooden walkway.

"Well, Five at least has good taste in scenery… among other things."

"The water here is so pretty too!" Mikhail said, flying back over the fighting.

"Will you two quit looking at the scenery and get back to the fighting?!" Zero snapped. Nil and Mikhail both let out annoyed grumbles.

"Yeah yeah, back to the slaughter it is."

"Fiiine."

Zero rolled her eyes at Nil and Mikhail's replies taking the lead forward. And as they continued, amid cutting throats of slashing chests open, Nil took the occasional moment to listen into the chatter going around the soldiers they were encountering, and he merely sighed as he listened to the scream from the last one he shoved off the cliff, leaning on his knees as he watched the man crash into the water.

"Let's narrow down the types we've killed so far. There's some who've been terrified for their life, that's normal, reckless idiots who _think _they can win, and then the nuts who want an audience with their Intoner… knowing Five, how much you wanna bet she's "treated" some of these poor saps?"

Zero just made a huffing sound as the approached a large barricade constructed in between the gap leading past the gorge, Nil approaching and looking around the sides with a far more analytical look on his face.

"Don't know and do not care, she'll be dead soon anyway." Zero punctuated her point by kicking the barricade. Nil sighed when it didn't budge and only irritated the girl even more, leading to more pointless blunt trauma to the metal barrier, "Just. Fucking. Fall!"

"Y'know that scaffolding running up along here seems like it'd be a _much _better way to get past this then trying to kick this _giant _metal shield down like an idiot." Nil's tone was remarkably dry as he gestured with his arms to the shoddy wooden construction slapped onto the rocks, likely added with the barrier in a hurried attempt to block him and Zero once news had reached the back lines. Zero cleared her throat as she lowered her leg, Nil bearing a smirk.

"I-I saw that. I was just trying to make a more direct path. I hate tedious things like this."

"Hey at least be glad you dented the metal. But _damn _they wedged this thing in."

"Shut up and start climbing."

Nil snickered as he pulled himself up onto the edge leading onto the scaffolding , Zero just jumping the distance to get ahead of him again. Nil stepped forward and vaulted off of his hands, Zero rolling her eyes with a chuckle as he flipped before landing on the other side of the barricade, the teenager chuckling as he looked back up at Zero.

"Show off."

"Ha, like that matters much to you." Nil snickered, Zero dropping down beside him. Mikhail landed on the ledge above the two.

"So, Zero, what kind of sister _is _Five?" At Mikhail's question, Nil gave a small smirk, already expecting something.

"The slutty kind." Was the blunt reply given by Zero.

"What's "slutty" mean?" The oh so innocent dragon inquired. Nil put a hand to his eyes in anticipation where it was likely to go.

"It means all she thinks about is dirty stuff."

"Oh. So she's just like you?" And _that _was the killing remark. Zero flinched in annoyance, and Nil couldn't keep his amusement at bay anymore.

"Pff… HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Nil's sudden outburst of laughter at Mikhail's statement was quickly met with Zero slamming her gauntlet into his stomach as she let out an angry growl, but even as he buckled over Nil was still laughing through his teeth.

"Well, he's not exactly _wrong!" _Nil dodged the next punch Zero threw at him even amid the bit of wheezing coming from him.

"Alright then wise guy, you take point until we get to the shrine." Zero planted her foot onto Nil's back to shove him forward, "I am so paying you back for that jab tonight."

"Oh please, I know damn well you like my sarcasm. You just hate how I so easily direct it at you."

"Keep it up and I'll cut it off when you're sleeping!"

"No you won't. You'd lose your best way to relax then."

"Just get your ass onto the front and scout out that house!"

"Like we even _need _to guess what we're gonna find in there."

"Come on you two, stop fighting!" Mikhail's somewhat timid word earned a glare from Zero. It's not that the two were fighting… this was just how Zero was, and how she'd behave under pretty much any normal circumstances when the mood provided for it.

Nil rolled his eye as he moved forward, Zero giving him an indignant look as she gestured with her arms. And almost as soon as Nil walked out into the open area the house was in, sword wielding soldiers began filing out, bursting through the door in a frenzy.

"Oh woulda look at that!" Nil threw an arm out, Zero clicking her tongue.

"Stop talking and start killing!"

After the usual routine, and once the soldiers were nothing but blood dripping smears on the ground, Zero took a moment to look the house over, a hand on her chin. Considering she and Nil had spent the year holed up in a one room cabin they'd merely _found _at some point after escaping the Cathedral City, now she was wondering if it would've been possible to find a place like this instead.

But then she also wondered why she was even having those kinds of thoughts. Thoughts that someone like her shouldn't be having.

"Looks like people used to live here at some point." The statement from Zero was more to divert her own thoughts than anything. Nil caught the little moment of wistfulness in the girl, but he wasn't going to act like he'd noticed.

"It's a house. Near the coast. I bet it was some rich noble's beach home or, more likely case, a fisherman's hamlet." Nil said, Zero again giving him a look for the sarcastic remark.

"Must be nice living near the sea. Think of all the yummy fish!" Mikhail let out a pleasant chuckle as he landed in the clearing.

"I mean not that we weren't. Just shoved away from the coast by a good half mile or so." Nil shrugged, and Mikhail shrugged his wings in a mimicry of the motion. Zero shook her head a bit at the scene, and one could have almost caught the brief smile that showed on her face. The party continued forward from there to the next shore where they could see fishing boats, white sand, and open water.

But, no shrine. Not a single darn sight of it anywhere. Even though this was _supposed _to be where it was.

It just wasn't there. Somehow.

"What the hell, where's the shrine?" Zero looked around the inlet in bewilderment, reaching into Mikhail's saddlebags and whipping out the map, "The shit?! The map says it's _right here, _so where is the damn thing?! Dammit… I think we've been had."

"Uh… Zero?" Nil said.

"But that doesn't make sense! We've seen the damn thing here, and you said the villagers nearby always talked about it…" The girl didn't notice Nil's statement. She just kept ranting, even as the boy put a hand to his sword and Mikhail got ready as well.

"Zero."

"So why isn't it here? What the fuck Five?! What kind of stupid bullshit are you pulling?!"

"Hey, Zero, sweetie, I _think _we have something more immediate to be worried about right now!"

"What have I told you about the stupid pet names?!" Zero turned around and shoved the map back into the bag as she turned to look at Nil, the Disciple shooting his hand off to point near the shore, Zero looking in the direction he was pointing as she saw what had startled him lurching out of the water.

Taller than several men stacked on top of each other. It's skin a sickly pale green and bearing rusted, worn armor, it's gross blue tongue lolling from its mouth, a massive club being dragged behind the thing as it lurched out from the archway jutting from the water.

"What the hell is that?" Zero said, Nil clicking his tongue.

"A Gigas… those things live in the mountains, so I don't know why the fuck one of them is here at the sea." Nil said, Zero already drawing her sword.

"Also, another strike for using that pet name."

"How the hell else was I gonna get your attention?!"

"And _another _strike for that reply. With what you earned from earlier, I'll 'punish' you after we deal with this thing."

"Hey, don't threaten me with a good time."

"Just be careful you two, this guy is strong, really, super strong!" Mikhail said, Zero scoffing as Nil readied his blade.

"Well, whatever this thing is, if it gets in my way, it's going down!" Zero and Nil shot to the side when the Gigas brought its club down to try and smash them into paste. Mikhail lifted back into the sky and began to circle the inlet.

"Well it _is _trying to kill us after all!" Nil added, jabbing his weapon into its leg, spurts of red fluid following the ripping out of the blades along with the beasts roar, Zero taking the chance from the Gigas being distracted by it's now torn open leg to jump up and rake her sword across its face, the beast turning to her when she landed.

"Heh, what're you looking at shithead?!" Zero taunted, the Gigas swinging at her again, but it's now wounded eye from Zero's cut threw off its aim, causing the club to miss horribly, to Zero's amusement as she moved under the beast and cut its other leg, Nil clambering onto it's back and driving the butt of his main sword's hilt down onto one of the spikes on the creatures back, the Gigas lurching as the spike was driven in further and out through its shoulder with a spray of red, Nil being thrown off and skidding to a stop in the sand.

"Well, guess those are there for a reason… so, guess is, it's been used as a guard." Nil noted, Zero chuckling when the monster started flailing now that it's sight was cut in half.

"What is it with big guys and always being slow and stupid?" Zero hummed, Mikhail making an offended sound.

"Hey! I'm a big guy!"

"Sloooow and stupid!" Zero only felt, of course, reaffirmed in her point when Mikhail whined.

"You don't have to say it twice!"

"Zero, lay off the kid." Nil shook his head as he gave a sigh, then shooting to the side when the Gigas' club came rather close. He responded by blasting it with fire, the beast flailing it's arms as it began to burn. "It's half blind, so let's kill it already!"

"Speaking my language!" Zero was already using the other spikes on the Gigas' back to clamber up, holding on when it began flailing wildly. Nil let out a loud whistle, Mikhail swooping down from his perch. Nil jumped onto the saddle mounted on the dragon's back.

"Good thing unlike her the dumb thing doesn't know how to fight with a blindeside. Mikhail, dive down!" Nil shouted above the air whipping around him, nodding once he had the idea, "Zero, get off that thing!"

"WHAT?! I'm about to stab it's face in!" Zero waved an arm as she was now using her sword as a hold on the Gigas over something else.

"Gigas' don't go down that easy, trust me! Mikhail, we're roasting that thing first!"

Mikhail nodded to Nil's ide. Zero gave a grumble but jumped off of the Gigas anyway. The now confused beast looked around, only to be greeted to Mikhail's roar as the dragon descended, flames flickering from the young dragon's jaw before the gout of fire was released. A ball of flame engulfed the Gigas, leaving it scorched thoroughly and with armor fused to its skin.

"Okay, now what?" Zero shouted, getting her answer when Nil stood on the saddle, jumping off, to the surprise of both Mikhail and Zero. Nil dropped through the air with his sword drawn, a small burst of white light coming from behind him, Nil using the momentum from the drop to drive his sword into the Gigas right down to its hilt, the beast falling back, still gurgling with life as it's arm reached up, Nil twisting his sword around and sparking lightning through it. The Gigas' arm twitched wildly for a few moments before going stiff and falling flat.

"There, it's dead." Nil stood up and yanked his sword free of the dead beast's skull, using his sleeve to wipe off the blood on his face, then chuckling as he stepped down onto the sand, "Whaddya think? Not so bad for an impromptu plan-UGH!"

Nil lurched again when he was met by a metal fist to his stomach, still standing but giving Zero a "why?" expression when he looked up to see her glaring at hi.

"_That _is for being a reckless idiot!"

"You pull crazy stunts like that all the time!"

"Because I can survive them if I mess up. You can't!"

"Pah, I'm not that weak!"

"Whatever." Zero huffed, slamming her sword to its sheathe, then turning back to Nil, now facing away from the water. "But, if Five thinks that'll be enough to stop us, well, she's an even bigger idiot. Now come on, we need to look for that shrine, but _first…" _Zero made a point to grab Nil by his jacket's collar, pulling him closer, "We're going back to that house over there to make due on your punishme-"

Zero was cut off when the noise of water being sent all over the place sounded, Nil also pointing off behind her, Mikhail's eyes widening as he saw it as well. Rising from the sea itself was what was left of an old water built town, enough intact to be used as an initial gateway or even encampment to the intact, untouched shrine now visible from a short distance off, the circular structure the exact location the party was searching for.

"Convenient." Nil hummed, Zero clicking her tongue as she let him go, the teen straightening himself out and fixing his jacket, that notable smirk on his face again. "So, which do ya' want first Zero? To keep going forward and kill your sister _now, _or do what you suggested and go to that beach house to make do on whatever happens when I get enough strikes?"

_POW!_

Another punch to the gut was the answer Nil got, Zero storming off onto the risen walkway with a far angrier look on her face than was usual for her. Nil was still hunched over and sucking in his breath, Mikhail leaning in close.

"Nil, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Probably deserved that one in all honesty." Nil hissed, standing straight pretty quickly though, "Not like Zero ever hits me hard enough where I can't walk it off… I'm good."

"Ah, that's good to know. Uh… hey, what _did _Zero want to go back to that house to do anyway?"

"Uhhhh… well…" Nil murmured, a hand meeting his face, "How the hell do I explain this to a kid?"

"ARE YOU TWO COMING OR NOT?!"

"Yeah yeah, don't get your panties in a wad!" Nil shoved a hand into his pockets, gesturing for Mikhail to follow as he stepped off, the dragon taking a moment more before following after the Intoner himself. "Well, we're here… time to kill an Intoner. For real this time."


End file.
